Lasercut Cover For Typography Special Of Novum Magazine

Over on our sister blog FontBlogFontShop AG General Manager Jürgen Siebert mentions the “making of” video for the cover for the October issue of German graphic design magazine Novum. It is an impressive feat of design and engineering. Clormann Design developed a graphic concept around the main topic “typography” – an intricate typographic composition that was laser cut by Stigler GmbH out of Invercote G Print Silver Brush from Iggesund. Binding proved to be a major challenge for Kessler Druck + Medien, as the very delicate cover had to be integrated without creasing, tearing or otherwise damaging it. The entire process was captured on video by Clormann Design’s Carolin Jacklin and Marc Clormann, and edited by Florian Selder.

Novum, published by Stiebner Verlag in München, Germany, is one of the leading international design magazines. Its October 2013 issue is a Typography Special featuring an interview with the graphic design and pop star Chip Kidd, graphic design from Norway to Uruguay, and 15 pages of typography in all its various facets. The main topic is echoed in the message on the cover “Be bold, be light, be italic but never regular”. The unprecedented filigree letters were cut into the black cover by laser, partially revealing the coppery metallic sparkling stock of the inside cover.

Stack of lasercut, unbound covers for the Novum Typography Special.

Although technically speaking the cover is very impressive, I am a little disappointed in the choice of type. The composition uses an assortment of the boring old mainstays (with the exception of Brian J. Bonislawsky’s Ultra) – FF DIN, ITC Avant Garde Gothic, ITC New Baskerville, Clarendon and Helvetica. By failing to recognise fresh, new type design for their Typography Special I honestly think this is a missed opportunity for both Novum and Clormann Design.